language of a close-up in such an extraordinary way that there was no reason to cut away. >> reporter: it's why critics predict she's a shoo-in for winning the oscar. alexis christoforous, cbs news, new york. >> cannot wait to see it again. it opens christmas day. thank you for watching 9news at 5:00 a.m. good morning. i'm andrea roane. i'm mike hydeck. friday is almost here. monika samtani is here. good to see i. mr. bernstein, let's kick it off with the weather. >> "les miserables" will be live here in theater. a cold morning. temperatures in the 20s and 30s. our day planner, a cold day but the difference today, the winds will be much, much lighter, only variable southeast at 5 miles an hour. 43 by lunch time. and we'll stay in the mid-40s for highs. a few clouds overnight have left the region. so we have clear skies this morning and a cold, cold start down in the low 20s now. frederick 23. it's 27 in cumberland and winchester. leesburg 28. fredricksburg at the freezing mark this morning. scott and the gang at andrews

checking in with 29. you'll need the heavy jackets and probably the gloves although it may not be too bad with you with highs about 47 in easton and 47 also in leesburg. 5:01. here's monika with timesaver traffic. we had a busy morning in the overnight hours. quite a lot going on. right now currently we still have this overturned tractor- trailer on the beltway. outer loop side right here at the exit for northbound i-270. it was carrying pineapples fully loaded with pineapples. some of it spilled out so they're going to wait through the rush hour before they can clear it up. luckily you can still get through. it's along the right side of the road there. let's take a look nearby if you're planning to head on 270. southbound you're not affected by the accident. you're okay coming through rockville and the point where the lanes divide. back to the maps. this time we're heading over to the inside of the beltway. no problems on 66 as you can see. 395 is running smoothly. no problems on 295 heading for the 11th street bridge. minnesota avenue north of good hope road has been reopened.

there was a building fire overnight there. we'll take a live look in springfield on the northbound side of 95. still running well coming up from 644. i'll be back with more at 5:10. 5:02. this morning we are waiting for any signs of some serious talking when it comes to taking care of the fiscal cliff. >> jessica doyle is here with more on the growing fears about what could happen if the stop signs aren't thrown up in time. >> good morning to both of you. we continue to see the situation play out like a high stakes game of chicken. the white house is saying publicly it will let the nation go over the fiscal cliff if republicans don't fall in line with the president's demands to raise taxes on the rich. the g.o.p. is pointing fingers, too. you don't have to look too hard in washington these days to see the fiscal cliff theater. >> nobody wants to get this done more than me. >> our goal is to make sure it gets solved. >> the president is ready, willing and able, waiting to be able to sit down and seriously negotiate this. but they have to be willing to

come to the table with specifics. >> the next 72 hours are critical. if he sits back and continues to play politics, that will give your answer where we're going. >> some lawmakers are actually going back home to their districts. congress has little scheduled business for the rest of the week. house speaker john boehner is saying that's not going to stop negotiations though. in the meantime pentagon officials say the white house has ordered the military to start planning for the possibility of cutting $500 billion from its budget over the next decade in case no fiscal cliff deal is scheduled. the military had been told for months not to get ready for these budget cuts. in the meantime, "the washington post" released a survey earlier this week. it found 53% of people polled would blame republicans for going over the cliff. 27% would blame president obama. not a lot of sunshine that we're seeing this these talks. >> i was telling mike, i was listening to an interview with trent lott, former leader back in the days in the clinton

administration. he said he and daschle would good friends and that they worked on it but he was also criticized by his fellow republicans for being a compromiser. when did compromise get to be a dirty word. >> we've seen signs of compromise on the side of john boehner and seen republicans go after him for doing that. >> exactly. it's a price of being a leader. what do you have for us in the next half-hour? >> it's the season we're dressing up our homes with a lot of holiday decor. it looks fantastic but can also be a little dangerous. we'll run through some of the possible dangers you might be having in your home right now. >> thanks, jess. >> you got it. police are looking for suspects if the drive-by murder of a 14-year-old. they believe the whole thing is gang related. the victim was shot and killed early yesterday on sheridan street in louisdale, maryland. prince george's county police say two other people walking with him are documented gang members. at least one of them was also hit in this but is recovering. investigators have found a car

they believe was used in this shooting. well, someone didn't bring enough firepower when they tried to blow up an atm. it happened at a drive-thru of the virginia credit union in fredricksburg but the ec pleasives only left scorch -- explosives only left scorch marks. they hope the bank surveillance video will help identify the person who did this. the montgomery county council will be meeting to discuss their response to superstorm sandy and what changes might be needed. maryland's senators testified about the damage on the eastern shore yesterday on capitol hill. barbara mikulski says they need more federal aide. ben cardin talked about what can be done to protect future storm damage. sources tell the associated press they'll ask for $50 billion to repair the damage. contractor christopher diatz has won a preliminary

injunction against james perez. the two former high school classmates are headed to trial over a home improvement project. the judge ordered the theft allegations be removed. with all this disagreement in washington over the fiscal cliff, there's going to be a much different tone outside the white house this afternoon. >> that's thanks to the annual pageant of peace and national christmas tree lighting festivities. erica gross has a preview. >> reporter: the national park foundation is ready to give you a tree lighting ceremony you won't soon forget. the national tree was brand new, just planted in october and it has been prepped for tomorrow's spectacular display from top to bottom. >> we work on it all year long. now it's crunch time. this is the 90th anniversary of the tree lighting so we're

going to have over 20,000 people here tomorrow night watching a live show. >> the first lady of the united states of america. >> reporter: the stage is set for a spectacular live show which is going to be hosted by neil patrick harris from the cbs show "how i met your mother." song writing legend james taylor and pop rock band the frayer just a couple the performers. the lineup changes every year so there's a different sound than in years past but there's also a different look. this year's layout for the tree lighting ceremony is totally new. the white house now serves as a beautiful backdrop as the first family is lighting the national tree. if you aren't one of the lucky ticket holders on thursday night, there's still plenty of reasons to head down to the mall throughout the month. daily performances, beautiful decorations, and free visitses with santa to keep the whole family entertained. >> when they come down here, they'll find an entire christmas village. 57 trees, one for each state and the territories and the district of columbia. we have all kinds of things going on around the tree.

regards and christmas presents and things like that. >> what is left is the christmas pathway of peace. the stage we're standing on right now remains. we have musical programs here daily. >> reporter: since it's presented by the national park service, all the events are free and open to the public. on the eliption, i'm erica -- ellipse, i'm erica gross, 9news. >> we'll have live coverage of the tree lighting ceremony this evening on 9news at 5:00, the start of three weeks of holiday celebrations. >> it's a lot of fun and a lot of traffic down there. take your time. this morning tanks of sitting outside egypt's presidential palace. >> it appears the massive protests could be on the verge of widespread violence. the latest developments coming up. plus, this is for the faint of heart. a rescue operation -- it's not for the faint of operation. a rescue operation -- faint of heart. a rescue operation involving the world's largest fish.

ten after 5:00. a lot colder than yesterday. we do have a cold start. 20s and 30s now of the we're going to make the 40s here today. in fact, 43 by lunch time but not much warmer than that. maybe 46 for the high. thankfully winds fairly light southeast 5 to 10. i'll be back with the weekend forecast. we have warmer temps coming back. that's a little preview. right now monika with timesaver

traffic. overall and generally speaking, things look good but on the outer loop of the beltway after connecticut avenue as you approach 270, watch out for the overturned tractor-trailer carrying pineapples this morning. it's sitting there along the right side. doesn't seem to be affecting traffic too much. just stay to the left to get around it. i'll have details on that once again at 5:18. here's what's making news now at 5:11 this morning. there are reports at east three demonstrators have died in egypt. supporters and opponents are clashing over president morsi's policies. they're doing this in the streets, even outside the presidential palace. the opponents are hoping to stop a december 15 referendum on egypt's new constitution which they say is too heavily based on islamic law. authorities in guatemala have arrested software security pioneer john mcphee on charges he entered the country illegally. he surfaced there this week after leaving his home in belize where police want to question him in the murder of

his neighbor. he says police are targeting him and that's why he was seeking asylum in guatemala. cube divers like our own -- scuba divers like our own producer in mexico have come to the aid of one of the world's largest animals. they cut away a thick rope which had become embedded in the body of a pregnant whale shark. despite being the largest fish species, it's very docile and eating small fish. they are beautiful. >> ever wonder if you could really help someone half a world away? ahead at 5:56, it actually is very easy thanks to a group called wheels to africa. we'll tell you about a weekend event the group is hosting. >> at 5:22, the redskins get ready for their own battle of the beltways. they take on the ravens this weekend. >> howard says fans heading to that game won't need their heavy coat but find out if you do today. we'll be right back.

grz good morning. welcome back to 9news. we were talking about the converdictibles with the top down during a commercial. you wouldn't want it down on a day like today. >> hats, gloves, whatever because it is cold out there. 20 to 30 degrees colder than this time yesterday morning.

it's going to be a chilly day. here's a look at the bus stop forecast. you'll need to bundle up. thankfully the winds have come down a lot as well. they'll stay light most of the day. clear and cold. 20s and 30s. your sunrise at 7:13. so some of those kids at the bus stop, it's still dark so be careful of that. be mindful of that if you can. 41 at 11:00. northeast winds about 6 miles an hour. they'll go light and variable southeast this afternoon. only about 5 with a high about 46. look at these winds. very, very light. maybe a couple more clouds as we get into the afternoon hours. but certainly a colder day. average highs now 50. today for a change this month below average. 31 this morning in bethesda and college park. it's 29 for bowie while upper marlboro 34. out to the west, fairfax county just about everybody below freezing now over to arlington 32. we have 32 in leesburg and also haymarket. outside on our michael & son weather camera, this is wisconsin in northwest d.c. nice and quiet and dry on this

thursday morning with clear skies. national 36. they have one of the higher winds at 12 miles an hour out of the north so the windchill there feels like 28 this morning. that barometer 30.34. temperature trend tells the story. while we have a shoft cold air, look at -- shot of cold air, look at the highs. chicago near 50, 60 in st. louis. some of the mild temperatures that you see down across the south will be moving off toward the east and northeast. chill tries to return to the northern plains friday. we'll see temperatures today in the 40s. tomorrow in the 50s. by saturday here come the 60s around here. low 60s. the arctic air, the cold stuff, that's going back in the northern rockies. while the cold stays west, for us it will be tough to get winter started. some people not happy about that. others are like hey, it will be great if it goes like this till march. rain in the northern plains helping to lift some of the mieldzer air. the tail end of the cold front has showers and storms in the gulf of mexico. it's now pushed well off shore.

it will be sunny and colder today and tomorrow a few more clouds and maybe a late shower. our forecast for the next three days, our weather codes are all green today, tomorrow and saturday. chilly, 46. tonight we're back in the 20s and 30s. 54 tomorrow with clouds. maybe an afternoon shower. could be a shower friday night into saturday morning but i think some sunshine by saturday afternoon and milder, 64 on saturday. for the redskins-ravens game which you can see right here on wusa on sunday at 1:00, maybe a shower and 62. a warm monday. monika, over to you. >> thank you so much, howard. the first thing i want to let you know about is on the northbound side of i-95, if you're heading up toward quantico this morning heading out the door, you want to be aware there's tire debris along the left side of the roadway. everyone is coming up to it quickly and then swerving to get around it. northbound 95 before quantico. i believe that authorities have been informed so be aware of that. once you're beyond that, you're okay dale city to woodbridge. no issues into springfield. let's take a live look at 66 on

the inbound side. everything still looking pretty good in centreville, although expect some brake lights in manassas. let's go back to the maps. this is the long-standing story this morning. on the outer loop of the beltway just after the exit for 270, it's an overturned tractor- trailer. it was full of pineapples. howard wants me to call it pineapple sal take on the outer loop. -- salsa on the outer loop. you have the right side of the roadblocked. it's not affecting your exit to 270 northbound. we'll take a live look southbound at montrose road which is still very light. i'll be back at 5:30. back to you guys. playoff positioning will be on the line at sunday's redskins-ravens game. >> plus, there's a little added incentive in the army-navy game. that's coming up in sports. >> average american woman buys 17 of these every year. is it a, pairs of shoes, b, bottles of wine, or c, a smartphone. >> this response was on our facebook fan page by jennifer.

she wrote has to be a because i'm dead broke from spending money on all those sue -- those shoes. >> log on to our facebook fan page. we'll have the answer in about an hour or so in our 6:00 show. keep it here.

u freedom a get cash bk. ♪ ♪ive percenon hotelsand air ♪h everybodconga lineok!

♪verybody g, evybody t! ♪ activa your cash backt ase.cofreedom. it is 5:22. a colder, much colder air mass than what we've been dealing

with the last few days now in place with temperatures in the 20s to mid-30s. we're looking at generally clear skies so that's a positive for today. the sun will be out and the winds relatively light. by 9:00 37 in town. still 32 in the shenandoah valley. let's go to lunch time. only 41 here. this afternoon we're looking at highs in the mid, possibly upper 40s. bundle up. mike and andrea, over you to. >> thanks, howard. for some football did begins and ends with saturday's army-navy game. >> kristen berset has our morning sports. good morning, everybody. the ravens will clinch a playoff spot with a win this sunday. the redskins clawing their way to the post-season. of course a victory gives them a boost. this weekend's game between the two is going to be a true test for both defenses. the redskins ranked fourth in defending the run but will still need to shut down ray wright. on the other hand the ravens's tough defense has struggled all season. they got beat last week by a third string quarterback and

now have to figure out a way to stop the rookie of the year candidate. >> wright is a very dynamic player low to the ground, hard to tackle, strong, as good a receiver as he is a runner. >> we're going to have our hands full with robert griffin and those athletes, manual, with santana -- man, with santana moss, garcon, and their running game. once again they have a good coach, coach shanahan. the pageantry of army-navy week culminates saturday. navy has won the last ten but this year there's more at stake. for the first time in ef southbound years both teams swept air force which means the commander in chief trophy is up for grabs. that's just one thing the midshipmen are playing for. >> that's our number one goal to win the commander in chief trophy. it's at stake, you know, against our rival obviously. it's going to be an intense game. >> we want to beat them more than anything on saturday.

they feel the same way. but, you know, once we graduate, we're brothers in arms. that's ultimately what matters. >> you can see that game right here on wusa9 at 3:00 p.m. saturday followed by post-game on game on at 7:00. also, sunday redskins-ravens here wusa9 1:00 p.m. from fed ex field. immediately following that, game on, a special post-game edition. dexter manly and daryl green will be here with their post- game analysis. we'll be live from fed ex field. it's going to be a great game. that's a quick look at sports this morning. i'm kristen berset. have a great day. a local congressman insists his side will compromise when it comes to the fiscal cliff. more on that story coming up. >> plus, we have proof that even the professionals can make mistakes when it comes to holiday decoration and fire safety. we'll be right back. at 5:25, you're watching 9news.

hello. welcome back to 9news now. it's 5:29 this thursday morning. i'm andrea roane. friday is almost here. i'm mike hydeck. good morning, monika. hi, howard. >> when did you take the picture with the two ladies yesterday? go to his facebook page and you'll see a nice picture of mike and these two ladies. it's on his facebook page. >> it's -- it wasn't my idea but i obliged. >> i'm kind of jealous. >> there was mistle toe involved. put it that way. >> weather wise, on a cold morning like this, good to have some friends to keep warm. down to the 20s and 30s this morning. here's a look at your day planner. get ready for sunshine, lighter winds but much colder temperatures. yesterday's high was actually 64 but that happened at midnight. we were in the upper 50s in the afternoon. today we'll be 43 at lunch time and in the mid, possibly upper 40s this afternoon but count on

mid-40s with light southeast winds eventually at 5 miles an hour. overnight a little patch of clouds came through. it's gone. it's gone off to our east. we've got clear skies. it's going to be a sunny morning. mostly sunny all day today. look how cold it's gotten. frederick 23. 25 in manassas. on the bay there's still 38 at the naval academy getting ready for the game with army. 27 in winchester and cumberland. we're only going into the mid- 40s today. so heavy coats and gloves this morning. let's check in with monika at 5:30. been a very busy overnight on the roads. >> i tell you and right now it's just getting worse. i'm so sorry to tell you. 95 was okay. there was some debris in the roadway near quantico. take a look at this from our vdot cameras where there's an accident. up to four cars involved. we'll go to that live shot on our vdot camera. this is north of duke street but before seminary road. only the left shoulder is squeezing by right now. at times they're not letting any traffic through. again up to four cars involved.

the arrow board is set up which means it may be there for a while. things are going to get from bad to worse quickly on the northbound side of 395 coming up from the beltway. be aware of this. if you have three people in the car, maybe just go ahead and use the hov lanes. those are doing just fine. i'll keep you posted on this one. back to the maps. quickly want to tell you about an overturned tractor-trailer on the outer loop after i-270. it's along the right side and it's going to be there throughout the rush hour. i'll be back with more coming up in a few minutes. the fiscal cliff doesn't drop off for almost three weeks but this morning federal agencies have new marching orders from the white house. >> they do. they've been told to prepare for more than $100 billion in spending cuts. susan mcginnis reports there are few signs ever progress to fix this fiscal cliff so far. >> reporter: social security workers marched outside their office in baltimore wednesday. they're protesting the government spending cuts due to kick in at the end ever the year as part of the fiscal cliff. >> we don't want to see our

public hurt in any way. >> reporter: just down the road in washington, d.c., the standoff continues. house speaker john boehner says he is still waiting for president obama to make his next counteroffer to the republican plan he rejected. >> we need a response from the white house. we can't sit here and negotiate with ourselves. >> reporter: the president and boehner spoke on the phone wednesday but republicans want more. >> we want to sit down with the. we want to talk specifics. >> reporter: whether the talks happen on the phone or in person, here on capitol hill or at the white house, there will be no deal without a compromise on taxes, something that does not appear likely any time soon. >> an obsession to raise taxes is not going to solve the problem. >> reporter: treasury secretary timothy geithner said the white house is absolutely willing to go over the fiscal cliff if the g.o.p. doesn't agree to raise taxes on the top 2% of earners. while a handful of republicans appears willing to concede that point, the party's position

seems unchangeable. >> speaker boehner took a position i think the day aft campaign that said we're willing to bring in revenue but we're not willing to increase rates. >> reporter: the president says if republicans will concede the point, they could reach a deal within a week. susan mcginnis, cbs news, washington. >> 9news now is talking to our local congressional members about the fiscal cliff tonight at 7:00. maryland senator ben cardin will join derek mcginty in studio. last week virginia democrat jerry connolly stopped by and -- last night rather. virginia democrat jerry connolly stopped by and the 11th district representative stressed there is room for compromise on his party's side. >> it ought to be open to negotiation what the income threshold s. the. has laid out 250. i think there's maneuverability. i think it's too low. >> is there maneuverability on the percentage? could it be 37, 38? >> i think he's signaled he's willing to negotiate on that.

but the republicans so far have simply said no tax increases of any kind. >> you can keep up to date on our approach to the fiscal cliff any time on our website wusa9.com. just click the fiscal cliff banner at the top of our home page. there you'll find the countdown clock and a calculator to help figure out the cliff's impact on you. later this morning, the man accused of shooting the manager at the family research council is supposed to let prosecutors know if he will take a plea deal or not. prosecutors told floyd lee corkins that he would have to plead guilty to three counts of ten counts in a federal indictment, including a charge of committing an act of terrorism. corkins is accused of opening fire at the council's headquarters in northwest washington not long ago. the man wounded in the shooting held down the gunman until police got there. a new study could change the way women are treated for breast cancer. british researchers found

taking the drug tamoxifen for a longer period of time could have major benefits. researchers are suggesting women take tamoxifen for ten years. that's twice the current recommendation. they say patients who do are less likely to die from the disease and less likely to have a recurrence. >> the benefits are particularly in the second ten years. that's very helpful i think for that group of women who really have been worrying until now. >> there are about 230,000 new cases of breast cancer each year. tamoxifen effectsest general levels so -- effects estrogen levels so it affects end meetial cancer, blood clots and hot flashes but the serious side effects is low. jessica doyle is back with a warning for the holidays. >> that's right. this is the time of year we're decking the halls. we've got our holiday decor right here on the set. but you have to keep in mind holiday decorations can go from

delightful to dangerous. in just seconds. new numbers from the consumer products safety commission point to a recent increase in injuries related to holiday decorations. the estimated number of incidents including fires has gone up from 12,000 in 2009 to hit 14,000 in the last holiday season. the cpsc estimates the christmas tree fires cost consumers as much as $19 million in property damage between 2008 and 2010. and a longer stretch between thanksgiving and christmas. this year means even more caution is needed with live trees. >> consumers are buying them earlier and earlier. that can cause problems. often people are having such a great time during the holidays that they forget to water the tree which can lead to a terrible fire. >> in addition to keeping the tree stand filled with water, you need to place it a safe distance from your heat sources, your vent, radiators, fireplaces, areas like that

lights with broken or cracked sockets, frayed wires or loose connections should not be used at all on any tree. and the cpsc got a lesson of its own yesterday. an event showed the risk having a menorah too close to the curtains or let your christmas tree dry out, they do this every year but once they set fire to the tree, unfortunately it didn't completely get the fire out. the tree went in the dumpster. it caught fire again along with everything else in there. no one was hurt but the building was evacuated for a short time as a precaution. this event every year is amazing because it shows how quickly everything in the room is consumed by fire. and how we really need to be very careful. >> in a way it's ironic that it was the safety group, but it shows you that no matter who you are, you, too, can be a victim to this and you've got to pay careful attention. >> absolutely. >> thanks, jess. women break through a glass ceiling in the u.s. navy. that story is coming up. >> plus, it's not a diamond but

the world's largest aquamarine gem will be unveiled today at the smithsonian's museum of natural history. it's the new home of the pedro gem. it comes from brazil and named after the country's first two emperors. the 14-inch tall gem weighs 10,363 carats and a white of five pounds.

5:40. outside on the weather terrace this morning in my heavy coat and gloves, i kind of do wish i had the ear must haves on. it's -- ear muffs on. it's brisk. passing clouds this afternoon. a lot colder than it has been. by 11:00 41. we'll top out about 46. for the drive home clear on partly cloudy and 43. right now monika has timesaver traffic. the long-standing story this morning is the outer loop of the beltway at i-270. an overturned truck carrying pineapple is being offloaded right now. in the meantime 270 southbound itself is not affected except for the heavy traffic coming down from route 109. i'll be back with more details coming up at 5:49. jess? i've been combing through the day's daily deals, e-mails and retailer websites to find you deep discounts. lots of favorites. a new camera perhaps to put under the tree.

bestbuy.com has this one. a digital camera, nikon coolpix digital camera. it has a built-in projector on sale for $129.99. you're saving 300 bucks or 70% off and you're getting free shipping along with that. amazon.com deal today is for the kiddos. you can save 60% off select alex toys. these are arts and crafts toys like bracelet making cuts or bug making kits. a big hit at my house. prices today start at six bucks. and in fairfax, pay $39 for a whole house cleaning from weemiko. you can find out more online. i would love to hear from you on facebook if you have a deal for our viewers. coming up, tributes to a

jas legend whose influence -- jazz legend whose influence was felt beyond music. serious questions about what direction nasa is heading. who's celebrating a birthday today? check it out. transportation secretary a lahood is 67. andrew cuomo is 55. she was a former tv crush of mine years ago, actress general mean turner still -- janine turner still beautiful at 50. british actor know clark is 57. actress lindsey price is 36 today. happy birthday if it's your day too like our colleague shelly. happy birthday to you. i6

hello. welcome back to 9news now. 5:46 on this thursday morning. it's definitely colder this morning. you'll need to bundle up. >> i wish i had the ear muffs when i was on the weather

terrace. frederick down to 23. that just gives you an idea. they are the cold spot. we have lots of 20s out in the suburbs. even charlie in catlett called in at 27 in fauquier county. thankfully the winds are relatively light, generally 5 miles an hour or less. here's a look at the bus stop forecast. you already know it's cold outside but it will be sunny. winds this morning northerly at about 5, 8 miles an hour. they go southeast this afternoon with 20s and 30s. the sunrise 7:13. we'll lose a few more minutes before we get to the solstice and then things will start turning around with the longer days. sunny today. 43 at lunch time. winds become southeast only about 5 miles an hour. we're in the mid-40s for highs, maybe 46, 47. 45 at 4:00 p.m. and by 8:00 back down to 40. going into the 30s tonight. if you're going out to the tree lighting, winds will be light but dress for 30s as temperatures will be getting colder while you're out at the event. 27 in winchester and culpeper this morning. 23 in frederick. it's 30 in baltimore.

the coldest spot is actually garrett county. they're down to 21. we still have mid-30s in tappahannock and patuxent river and reedville this morning. yes, those folks still on the cold side. it's a lot colder than yesterday morning. look at these readings, 25 patuxent river. culpeper, you guys are down 32 from 5:00 a.m. on wednesday. outside on our weather camera, nice and quiet and dry on wisconsin avenue in northwest d.c. with a temperature of 36. north winds at 12 at national. these are the strongest ones i've been seeing making it feel like it's 28 out there. our humidity at 55 purposes. the whole air mass has dried out significantly. while it's cold and dry, we already have another system coming across the northern plains. it's moving west to east. it's not diving southeast so the cold air is up in canada and the real cold air that is and it's going to stay there or head to the northwest. a tail end after cold front with a twist on it but that's fizzled out of the gulf of

mexico. we sit behind the cold front this morning with a patch of clouds which is past us. we'll be colder today with highs under mostly sunny skies, mid-40s. clear to partly cloudy, cold tonight. by tomorrow morning showers in southwestern pennsylvania, west virginia, western maryland. we may get some of these by afternoon here and there. isolated stuff. but it should be a little milder tomorrow with temperatures back in the low 50s. here's a look at your forecast where we've got our weather alerts. all green the next few days with 46 and chilly this afternoon. tonight we're down to about 34, 35 in d.c. but upper 20s north and west. cool on friday. could be a shower in the afternoon, 54. milder saturday with a morning shower, 64. even tomorrow night there could be a couple of showers and then for sunday with the redskins ravens game 62, chance of a shower. by the way, you can watch that game here on wusa at 1:00. let's go to monika at 5:49 with timesaver traffic. you like pineapples? >> i love pine ams --

pineapples. >> this truck was carrying pineapples. what a waste. it happened around 1:00, 2:30 this morning on the outer loop where this truck carrying pineapples overturned right after the exit for 270. this is a live picture from our sky 9. the activity still there along the right side of the roadway. luckily as you can see on the right side of your screen it's not affecting your exit to northbound 270. it will affect your ride if you're traveling on the westbound side of 495 trying to get past that. keep that in mind for your travel plans. the left side of the road is open but the truck remains there. let's go to 395 on the northbound side. this accident on the right shoulder was blocking all but the left shoulder for a while now. all lanes are open but look at that delay on the northbound side of 395. all of your lanes are open. we'll go to springfield and see if it's affecting your drive. i believe it is. it is slowing down now as you head on to 395 and up past duke street. i'll be back with more at 6:00. back to you guys.

in our news now at 5:51, same-sex couples in washington state lined up for marriage licenses overnight. after their governor signed same-sex marriage into law a month after voters approved it. also at the stroke of midnight in washington state it became legal to smoke marijuana. nasa has no solid plans for the future. that's according to a new report by the national academy of sciences. the report blames the president for a lack of direction. it also says nasa has not done enough to accomplish the obama administration's goal of sending astronauts to an asteroid. the first female submariners in the u.s. navy have earned their dolphin. the dolphin pins awarded wednesday signify a woman's status as fully qualified submarine officers. they underwent a year of training followed by a year at sea to reach the milestone. what was planned as a birthday party for jazz legend dave brubeck is now becoming a memorial tribute. >> he died just one day shy

ever his 92nd birthday. his passion reached so far, it influenced the causes of civil rights and the thawing of the cold war. >> reporter: dave brubeck was a jazz pioneer whose career spanned eight decades. a classically trained pianist and composer formed his first band in 1951. eight years later the album "time-out." made his name a household name. it included a composition his saxophonist paul desmond wrote. "take five" with its catchy rhythms and unusual beat became brubeck's signature. it was the first album to sell a million copies. >> rhythm is an international language. >> reporter: his quartet played for presidents and foreign leaders setting the mood for the historic reagan-gorbachev summit in moscow.

>> all these people that almost hated each other were swinging. >> reporter: brubeck also used his music to unite a racially divided america becoming one of the first white jazz musicians to play in all black clubs. >> the more has changed with artists, all kinds of artists, the better this world will be. >> reporter: he devoted his life to that goal. he died in norwalk, connecticut, one day before his 92nd birthday. randall pinkston, cbs news. >> great man. great influence. >> got a chance to see him perform. >> wonderful. 5:53, still ahead your old bicycles can help spread some cheer halfway around the world. we're going to explain how you can help coming up. >> plus, we'll preview today's lighting of the national christmas tree in front of the white house. 5:53. here's jess. >> thanks, andrea. we talk a lot about your taxes going up buzz because of the fiscal cliff but your kids could suffer too. the impact on the classroom.

that's coming up at 6:07. good morning. you're watching 9news.

welcome back. if your kids are getting new bikes for christmas, we have a great place that you can donate one of their old ones. here's an example of one of the old ones that's getting donated. joining us is winston and juang. why did you decide to get involved with this and do this effort? >> i started this charity about

seven years ago with our -- our mom and i went over to africa. i saw a lot of people walking and in particular i saw all the women walking. it really had an effect on me because it reminded me of my grandmother. i wanted to know how i could help these people. my first thought was to send them cars or to send them food but nobody has an old car to give and food is just temporary. so i thought why not give them a bike because a bike can be used anywhere. it can be a means of transportation. it was a great solution. >> you guys have a pretty big goal this year, right? >> yes. >> what's the goal? >> our goal is to ship the bikes as soon as possible to africa. >> you have a number, right? a certain amount of bikes you're trying to get this year? around a thousand? >> 1,000. >> guys, where can people if they want to donate an old bike, there are several locations coming up this weekend on saturday. where can they do it? >> we have a lot of locations throughout the area. we have in arlington we have

yorktown high school, swanson middle school, washington&lee. and we have pizza hut, one out here in maryland at bethesda elementary. >> as you go through this and say you collect your 1,000 bikes, how do they get over there and how do you pay to ship them? you have to pay to ship a thousand bikes, right? >> that's one of the most difficult things because it's not cheap. we had to get it to the other side of the atlantic ocean. that's why we're asking donations since we are a grass roots charity. we started this by ourselves. we don't have any other help. we're asking people to donate some money. we ask for people to give about $15 when they donate a bike and we also have a paypal on our website if anyone wants to donate. >> that will help with the shipping. >> yeah. >> you guys need bikes. if anybody is getting a new bike this christmas, get your old one to these guys. there are several locations throughout northern virginia. the list will be on our website. you can also donate cash if you don't have a bite because they

need help trying to get these over to africa. you have something else you want to say? >> the bike will make a difference to the children living in africa. so please, whatever you have, give your bike to the children and it will make their life different. thank you. >> it's an absolute great cause. these will are fixed over there and refurbished so people can use them and get around and everyday life will be a lot easier. winston, thank you. again this saturday don't forget to donate your bike or some cash. over to my partners at the desk. >> amazing the difference that one person can make and when we all get together, what a huge difference we can make. thank you, guys. thank you for watching 9news at 6:00 a.m. i'm andrea roane. i just found a place to send my bike. >> there it is. we have some, too. monika samtani will tell us what's happening with pineapples on the roadway getting in the way of cars but howard starts us off with the cold weather forecast. >> it's a cold morning out there. a lot colder